Morroni Endorses Harless in St. Pete Council Race

By ANNE LINDBERG, TB Reporter

Pinellas County Commissioner John Morroni is the third elected official to endorse Barclay Harless.

ST. PETERSBURG – Pinellas County Commissioner John Morroni has endorsed Barclay Harless for the District 2 seat on the St. Petersburg City Council.

Morroni is a former state legislator, and past chair of the Pinellas County Commission. Morroni joins School Board member Renee Flowers and St. Pete City Council woman Lisa Wheeler-Bowman in supporting Harless. The United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 123 is also supporting Harless.

“In order to have seamless cooperation on big-ticket projects, we need elected officials who understand how the different layers of government interact. I was proud to appoint Barclay to the Pinellas Charter Review where he championed a ballot amendment—which ultimately passed countywide—that stipulates citizen-drawn redistricting for the County Commission. This is a testament to his work ethic and vision for our community. I proudly stand with Barclay in his campaign for St. Pete City Council District 2,” Morroni said.

Harless said, “Having worked across the aisle in the Florida Legislature, with local leaders on the Pinellas County Charter Review Board, with the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce and with the small businesses that have revolutionized our urban core, I am ready to take on the issues facing our city. I was raised with two basic fundamentals: one, be direct and honest in dealing with others. Two, tackle problems with a can-do, pragmatic approach.”

Harless said he plans to focus on finding commonsense solutions to issues surrounding the Pier, Tropicana Field, and the city’s wastewater systems. He is also committed to growing small, local businesses and engaging his district to better understand their concerns and priorities.

A fifth-generation Floridian, Harless has been involved in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. After graduating from the University of South Florida in 2010 with a bachelor’s in history, he went to work in the Midtown area of St. Petersburg for Democratic state Rep. Darryl Rouson during the height of the economic recession. He has served on the board of R’Club Childcare and the Louise Graham Center for Regeneration for three and half years. Harless has been the state policy chair for the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and has served on grant boards for the Suncoast United Way.

District 2 covers the northernmost section of St. Petersburg in the Gateway area around Gandy Boulevard, the Howard Frankland Bridge and Weedon Island. It is currently held by Jim Kennedy. Local Realtor Brandi Gabbard has also filed to run for the District 2 seat.

Qualifying for the St. Petersburg city elections begins 8 a.m. June 8 and ends at 5 p.m. June 23. The primary election is Aug. 29 and the general election is Nov. 7.

St. Petersburg, the largest city in Pinellas County, has an eight-member council with a strong mayor form of government. Council members serve four-year terms. The mayor and the district 2, 4, 6, and 8 are up for election this year.